Information about Surajkund Crafts Mela 2015

About Surajkund Crafts Mela

It showcases traditional handicrafts and handloom products and flavours of Indian cuisines.

Overview/History

Surajkund Crafts Mela is an annual fair celebrated in Faridabad District, Haryana. The festival showcases the art, craft and cuisines of India. The crafts persons from SAARC nations also participate in this Fair. The Mela is located at a distance of 8 km from south Delhi in the historic site of Surajkund.

The ancient Sun Temple stood here during AD 1000. The remains of the temple are still present here. The enchanting aura of the place won the heart of a Tomar chieftain Surajpal, a worshipper of the Sun god, who got a sun pool and an amphitheatre built here. The place was named after him. Surajkund was a simple tourist destination till 1987, when it was first organized. Later on it became a famous site which celebrated the centuries old crafts and traditions of India.

Celebration

This magnificent handicraft and handloom fair is held annually. The place is setup as a typical rural marketplace displaying the rich arts and traditions of India by the skilled artisans, sculptors, weavers and craftsmen. To give the fair a complete traditional touch, traditional cultural programs are held and rural cuisine is served.

The theme of the Surajkund fair is worked upon two main levels and is different every year. Out of the two levels, the first one is the setting of the place, the look of the entrance and the grounds which generally is dedicated to one particular state. The other level is a more purposeful one that is, highlighting a particular craft every year with half of the stalls showcasing it. There are about 400 stalls in this fair. To book a stall in the Surajkund Craft Mela, one has to fill up a tender and submit it in the Surajkund Mela Office in the first week of January.

The stalls not only sell these crafts but also act as a workshop for the craftsmen and enable the public to see how the crafts are made. Pottery, weaving, sculpture, embroidery, Paper Mache, bamboo and cane crafts etc are seen in abundance. Also metalwork and wooden work are a major part of the fair.

Such a fair is incomplete without food and beverage stalls. So there is an equally amazing food section which serves a huge variety of traditional Indian cuisines with fast food available too. There are fun rides setup for children and traditional entertainment shows, such as fold dancing, street drama for all.